Orange Chicken Stir-Fry With Pickled Red Chilli

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Slice your red chilli[es] finely (Not a fan of spice? Remove the seeds!)

Zest half your orange[s] (try to grate lightly with a micro-plane or sharp box grater and avoid grating the white pith, as this is very bitter) and then roll the orange[s] with your hand on a hard surface (to release more juice) and cut in half

Peel and dice your brown onion[s], then peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving

Add the sliced chilli to a small bowl with your white wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar and set aside to pickle – this is your quick-pickled chilli

Add the juice of the orange[s] to a separate bowl with your soy sauce, honey and the chopped garlic and give everything a good mix up – this is your orange sauce

Add your diced chicken breast to a large bowl with your cornflour, orange zest, and a pinch of salt

Give everything a good mix up until the chicken is fully coated – this is your coated chicken

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a very generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once the pan is very hot, add the coated chicken and cook for 5-6 min on each side until golden and crispy and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Once golden, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and reserve the pan – this is your crispy chicken

Return the reserved pan to a medium-high heat, add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 min or until slightly softened

Once slightly softened, add the orange sauce to the pan with your shredded veg mix and cook for 3-4 min or until the sauce has thickened

Once thickened, add the crispy chicken to the pan and give everything a good mix up until coated and warmed through – this is your orange chicken stir-fry